Check Mate
by coconutmandarin
Summary: He's a man who can get whatever he wants. She's a woman who has more than just pretty looks. He wants her share of the company. She wants to have a little fun. In this battle of wits, cunning, and plain physical lust...who wins? Check. Mate. Literally.
1. Problem Resolution

**Check. Mate.**

_He's a man who can get and is used to getting whatever he wants._

_She's a woman with more than just breathtakingly beautiful good looks._

_He wants her share of the company._

_She just wants to have some fun._

_In this battle of wits, cunning, pure viciousness and plain physical lust...who wins?_

_Check._

_Mate. _

_Literally._

********

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**That's right...I'm here with another story. _Again. _But I got this idea one night and I couldn't get it out of my head. Think those clichéd stories where Syaoran or Sakura tries to seduce the other in order to win a bet...only with a little twist. I promise it'll be different than the others. I don't like conformity. **

**Like so many of my other stories, this one is just a whim also. I'm just testing it out and if I don't like it, I'll discontinue it. So read and review if you like it and I'll appreciate your feedback.

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**

**One**

**Problem. Resolution.**

_Hong Kong, China_

The meeting was not going the way Li Syaoran wanted it to go. The idea that first popped into his head two months ago and had been so painstakingly nurtured until this day, revised, perfected, and checked for loop holes, was on the brink of obliteration. All thanks to the efforts of the one man who had been a thorn in his side from the first time he joined the company: Wang Xu Huan. In his late sixties with a full head of gray hair, an imperious bearing that suggested superiority, and brown eyes so cold that they could make hell freeze over, Wang Xu Huan had been the leader of Nang Hua Technologies' board of directors for twenty years. Domineering, inflexible, and arrogant, he resisted change with every fiber of his being. And change meant Li Syaoran, the twenty-six year old heir to Hong Kong's powerful Li Clan.

Li Syaoran was a tall, darkly handsome man who had a magnetic presence that drew both men and women to him. With messy chestnut-colored hair, penetrating amber eyes, and a body lean and hard-looking, he could have women swooning over him with one warm glance their way. But good looks weren't his only asset, for he was as bright and intelligent as he was attractive. Syaoran had went to the United States' most prestigious business schools, Harvard and Wharton, on pure whim, but he proved to be a quick study, brilliant and with a natural aptitude for the profession. When he returned to his hometown, he immediately landed a high-ranking executive job with one of the biggest international corporations headquartered in Hong Kong, Nang Hua Technologies.

Even though he was hired for the position, Syaoran knew just how close he came to not getting it. One characteristic that made Wang Xu Huan one of the most shrewdest businessmen was that he had a highly developed instinct, and his sixth sense told him that if he were to hire Li Syaoran, new ideas would be introduced. And Wang, born and raised in an era of traditional, old-world values, did not like liberality. He knew that if he gave the man the job, he would regret it later. But there was no one else more qualified than Li and Wang knew that if wanted to survive in Hong Kong, angering Li's mother, the powerful matriarch Li Yelan, would not be a wise move.

Syaoran knew he had mostly everything to his advantage, but a little sugar on top would make up for the undesirable parts. So he put on his most passive, compliant behavior and managed to convince Wang that he would do everything for the benefit of the company. The little-boy-needing-guidance act worked, and it wasn't until a few months into his job that Syaoran began doing things _his _way. So Wang, sprouting more gray hairs than ever before and sincerely regretting his decision, decided that making Syaoran's life hell would eventually drive him away.

And he was almost succeeding.

"Why the hell do you think this is gonna work, Li?" Wang snapped, his attention focused entirely on the younger man. "The stock has fallen 23 percentsince last year. That's a lot in a very short time." His purpose was to anger Syaoran and even though the man's face was completely devoid of emotion, Wang knew that his words were getting to him by the way his amber eyes flashed.

"It finished the year with a 61 percent gain in earnings and revenue climbed 15 percent." Syaoran replied evenly, trying to remain calm and suppress his urge to murder the man in front of him.

_Breathe...in and out, in and out..._

"Energy costs are rising. If we buy this company, we're going to join the group of dumb asses who are in deep shit thanks to those costs. Do I look like I belong to that club, Li? Do I look like a dumb ass to you?"

_You proved yourself to be one when you bought my act. _

"I'm not saying that, sir-"

"But you were implying that."

"Mr. Wang, this is completely irrelevant. The company has substantial cash on hand, which gives them the ability to buy back stock. They raised their dividend, which is a high 3.6 percent. It's a good, stable company and-"

"Stable?" Wang cut in as he let out a sarcastic laugh. "_Stable? _Jesus, Li, what the hell did those Americans teach you?" He pounded the table with his fist as his voice began to rise in loudness. "Lahiri Chemical is a _shit _company and as long as I hold the biggest share of the stock and I am the leader of this executive board, there is no way in hell I'm gonna let a punk kid like you with your _fucked up _ideas tell me how to run this damn company!"

There was a silence at the table as the rest of the board members averted their eyes and Wang and Syaoran glared at each other.

"If you need me, Mr. Wang," Syaoran said quietly after a few moments, "you can call my cell phone."

Putting his papers neatly into his briefcase, Syaoran left, every pair of eyes in the room watching him. As soon as the door closed and the executives were sure he was out of earshot, a dignified-looking woman in her fifties spoke up.

"You were too hard on him, Xu Huan," she said.

"The son of a bitch deserved it." Breathing heavily, Wang leaned back in his seat and lit a cigar. "God knows why I hired him."

"'Cause he has an impressive resume and you bought his pretty-boy act." Another man said matter-of-factly. "And even though _I _saw through it...you have to hand it to the kid. He's good."

"Shut up." Wang knew that his colleagues were speaking the truth, but he was far too arrogant to admit it.

_I need to get rid of him. Fast._

The Four Seasons Place, one of four towers making up the International Finance Center complex, is Hong Kong's most prestigious--and expensive--address. With service from the staff and large glass windows that looked upon Victoria Harbour, Syaoran had immediately moved in after getting back from the States. The tranquility and beautiful views had never ceased to calm him after a stressful day and now, as he got back from the meeting that had gone wrong, Syaoran once again found himself in a meditative state. _It's no use getting mad, _he thought as he poured himself a glass of wine and sat down on the couch with it. His eyes were glazed over as he stared ahead, both his vision and mind unfocused. _What to do, what to do..._

The sudden ringing of the telephone abruptly brought Syaoran back to reality and reaching over, he picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Syaoran?" It was Hiiragizawa Eriol, Nang Hua Technologies' chief corporate lawyer and one of Syaoran's closest friends. "I'm downstairs. Care to join me for dinner?"

"Where's your girlfriend?"

"Tomoyo canceled on me tonight. Had some emergency, her atelier couldn't fix a client's dress so she has to go back and do it herself." He sighed. "So I need someone else to fill the two-person reservation."

"So I'm back-up? Thanks."

"No problem. I'm at Caprice."

"I'll be down in five."

Putting the phone back into its cradle, Syaoran went into his room and hung up his jacket and took off his tie. Grabbing his keys, he locked the door behind him and took the elevator downstairs.

When Syaoran arrived at the French restaurant Caprice, waiting for him was his dinner companion. With blue-black hair, a pale complexion, and sapphire-colored eyes framed by horn-rimmed glasses, Hiiragizawa Eriol exuded a confidence and class that was matched by no one except for Syaoran. He had started as a legal aid but quickly climbed the ladder to become Nang Hua Technologies' chief lawyer. He had been a friend of Syaoran's for a long time and upon seeing him, Eriol immediately knew something was wrong. When they were seated, Eriol pounced on him.

"Did the meeting go well?"

"It went like shit." And Syaoran proceeded to tell him about how his idea was rejected thanks to the efforts of Wang.

"And he said that as long as he holds the biggest share of the stock and is board leader, he's not going to let me tell him how to run his company." Syaoran finished.

Eriol sat back, drumming his long, slender fingers on the table. "What are you going to do?"

Syaoran sighed. "I really don't know. He has a good point. As long as he holds the majority of the company's stocks, I can't overtake the it unless I have more than him. I could try to buy out the other board members but of course, they're his family. I wouldn't get within a hundred feet of them before they report me to Wang and I get my ass fried. Even my family background wouldn't help me."

There was a silence before Eriol suddenly thought of something. "Have you ever thought about trying to buy out _other _stock shareholders?"

Syaoran looked at him, puzzled. "What are you trying to say?"

"I was looking at the stock ownership sheets the other day. Even though the majority of the stocks are held by the board members, there's one person outside of the company who single-handedly holds as much as them. If you get her share and add it to your own, you'll have more than Wang and can oust him from the company."

Syaoran sat up, his curiosity piqued. "Who outside the company can have as much as all the board members put together?"

Eriol smiled. "So you've never heard the story, huh?"

"No."

"Well, it's confidential. Only those at the very top know of it."

Syaoran's jaw tightened as he was reminded once again that while he held a position higher than most people, it still wasn't high enough. Thinking once more that he needed to do something to get what he wanted, he motioned for Eriol to continue.

"A couple of decades ago when Nang Hua Technologies was first built up, two men were in control of the company: Wang Lo Fan and Kinomoto Masao. Kinomoto had just married some woman named Ando Fumiko, and I guess he was so in love with her that he gave her half of his share of the company. Which means she held a quarter of all the shares."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "I guess he regretted it later, right?"

"Right. She cheated on him and there was a bitter divorce but in the end she walked away with the shares and some extra money on the side. When she died, all of this was bequeathed to her son with Kinomoto, Fujitaka. You can just imagine how those shares have doubled, tripled, even quadrupled over these past decades."

"Yes..."

"Kinomoto died two years ago. His cancer was too advanced for even the world's best doctors to treat. But like his mother, he passed his shares down to his two children. One of them is married, with a wife, two kids, and some hotshot job as Japan's ambassador to the States. The other is single, your age, and a socialite jetting between Tokyo and Hong Kong."

Eriol's ice-blue eyes were watching Syaoran as he smiled conspiratorially and leaned forward. "You're a smart ass, Syaoran, I think you've already figured out what I'm getting at."

Syaoran let a smirk play on his lips as he fingered the stem of his wine glass. "Get the girl's share?"

"Bulls-eye."  
"And how do you suppose I do that?"

"Turn on your charm, Syaoran. When you do, what woman can resist you?"

"Coming from you, Eriol, I don't know whether to be wary or flattered."

"Be grateful. I just mapped out a plan that even the smartest exec can't see through."

Syaoran shrugged. "I'm sure someone has done it before."

"But not here, not at Nang Hua. Wrap her around your little finger, Syaoran, and you will get what you want."

There was a long moment's pause as Syaoran went over the plan in his mind. It really was ingenious, something that would ensure his rise to the top of the company. But it was risky, and the risks were almost as bad as the rewards were good. Did he dare execute the plan?

"What's the daughter's name?"

Eriol smiled, a Cheshire-cat grin that almost made Syaoran's skin crawl in anticipation and suspicion.

"Kinomoto Sakura."

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**So if you haven't already guessed it...the CCS characters in this fic are not all that angelic. A little more evil, greedy, and conspiratorial than usual.  
**


	2. Dilemma Solution

**So Checkmate is back after like...oh a couple of months. I can't believe how many reviews I got for the first chapter! **

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**Two**

**Dilemma. Solution.**

_Tokyo, Japan_

She was bored as hell. Bored with the music, bored with the flashing lights, bored with the man sitting next to her, bored with the company she was currently keeping. This was what she did almost every night: go out with her group of "friends" to a club and party until the crack of dawn. But instead of having fun, she usually found herself taking care of her companions who had too much to drink or warding off some amorous jackass who didn't understand the concept 'No means no.' Yes, Kinomoto Sakura was more than just a little pissed off as she sat on the couch, the multicolored strobe lights sweeping across her and the date her friends set her up with trying to feel her up.

"You're so beautiful, did you know that?" He whispered in her ear, his hand sliding up her thigh.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Meaningless words that were tossed off carelessly, probably said millions of times to other girls before her.

"No," Sakura said sarcastically, "you were the first to inform me."

"When I first saw you I couldn't take my eyes off of you…"

"No one can," she said sardonically.

"I've never met anybody like you."

"But I've met plenty like you," she snapped as she pushed the guy's hand away and stood up.

"Where are you going?" He asked, bewildered.

"Away. Away from you and this hell hole." Grabbing her purse, Sakura pushed through the throngs of gyrating, sweaty bodies on the dance floor and towards the exit. She was sick of this. She hated the people who she was forced to spend time with simply because they had all grown up together and were of the same social class. She hated how they were all brainless morons who only cared about sex, drugs, and partying. Sakura knew she was of a different category than them-she much rather put her business degree to good use and be a part of the company her family was connected with instead of acting like the stereotypical socialite. But her pedigree was a curse as much as it was a blessing, and this was what she was stuck with: shit. Enough was enough.

"Excuse me!" she shouted over the deafening techno music. Continuing to shove her way through the crowd, Sakura finally made it to the other side of the dance floor and proceeded to approach the bouncer, who immediately recognized her.

"I hope you had a nice night Kinomoto-san," the man nodded in acknowledgement of one of the club's most prominent clients.

Sakura allowed a wintry smile to grace her beautiful features. "Always, Saitou-san, always. Will you do me a favor?"

"Anything, just say the word."

Sakura smiled, this time warmly. Even though many in the club treated her as if she was royalty because they knew who she was, Saitou Hiroshi sincerely treated her for who she was, not for what her last name stood for. He was one of the few human beings Sakura had any respect for.

"Could you just keep an eye on my friends?" It made her want to vomit, calling the bitches who dragged her to go clubbing every night "friends."

"Of course, Kinomoto-san."

"Just make sure nothing bad happens to them and in the very, no, extremely, likely case that they are drunk in the morning, call them a taxi and make sure they get home. Here are their addresses."

She handed Saitou a card that had numerous addresses written on it. Sakura may have despised the people who ran in her circle of society, but she didn't genuinely wish them harm.

"I will see to it, Kinomoto-san."

"I'm grateful." With a small wave, Sakura stepped out of the club and onto the streets of Tokyo's Roppongi district, a neighborhood with more bars and clubs than any other place in Tokyo, except perhaps Shinjuku. Getting into her car, she drove back to her apartment, where no noise except the slight breeze and rustling leaves were heard and the only lights were the soft yellow ones of the street lamps. Sakura's eyes and ears welcomed the change.

Unlocking the door to her apartment, she flipped the light switch and dropped her purse and keys on the table. A flashing light on her answering machine alerted her to two messages, but she erased them without even listening to them. Sakura had enough experience to know that it was either her brother asking her the same mindless questions about her life or one of her drunk buddies who decided to call her for the hell of it.

Fuckers.

She made herself a margarita and drank half of it before passing out on her couch.

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When Sakura finally woke up, it was already two in the afternoon. She had slept fourteen hours-enough to make up for the past two days, but not nearly enough to make up for the whole week. Her entire body ached from sleeping so long and when she sat up, she almost fell back again due to the pounding of her head. Feeling a few cracks as she stretched, Sakura rubbed her eyes and opened them blearily. A blanket was lying on top of her and she couldn't remember how it got there.

"Rough night?"

She almost screamed upon seeing the person sitting calmly in the couch across from hers.

"Kaho!"

The woman smiled. With long red hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail, a flawlessly pale complexion and delicate bone structure, Mizuki Kaho was Sakura's sister-in-law, the wife of her older brother Touya and mother of his two children. She had been a rising intern in the Japanese political offices, beautiful and brilliant, when Touya, newly appointed ambassador to the United States, fell for her. A year after their whirlwind courtship, they were married and the proud parents of a baby boy. A daughter followed, and now Kaho was a political figure in her own right along with her husband. Sakura liked her, but today she was in no mood to deal with anybody.

"Touya and I flew in from New York last night. We left a message on your answering machine but I take it you erased it?"

Sakura didn't say anything; she didn't have to-Kaho was always on target.

"Well we decided to drop by this morning, see how you were doing. Of course, Touya wasn't too happy to come here and see his little sister knocked out on the couch, a margarita glass half-empty beside her."

"Half-full. Where's Touya?"

"Oh I made him go back to the townhouse and told him I'll deal with you."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Deal with me? And how are you going to go about that?"

"We need to talk, Sakura."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"You're still dressed in last night's clothes." Kaho stated. "Your hair's a mess and you still have your make-up on. I put that blanket on you, because you didn't. There are more than just a few empty wine bottles under the sink and you have barely any food in the fridge. There's plenty to talk about."

Sakura stayed silent.

"How many times have you gone clubbing this past week?" Kaho suddenly asked.

Sakura looked up. "How do you know I've been clubbing?" she asked, "Have you been having the government tail me?" Her voice became colder, and her green eyes had narrowed into slits.

Kaho scoffed. "I don't need to have investigators stalking you in order to find out where you've been going. That dress you're wearing," she pointed to the electric-blue satin dress Sakura still had on, wrinkled from more than fourteen hours' worth of wear and tear, "is fit for a club, and that's about it. You smell like alcohol and cigarette smoke. Not to mention after paying a few greetings to your neighbors, I've been getting a lot of questions about your well-being."

"Suzuki-san? She's a withered old prune who doesn't have a life other than listening in on other people and hoping to hear a bit of action."

"Well she doesn't hear anything from your apartment until five in the morning when you supposedly come stumbling out of the elevator and then slam your door. Why is that?"

"It's five in the morning, what do you think?" Sakura growled.

"I think that you've been out partying and had too much to drink, that's what I think," Kaho tossed back. "And my guess is that this occurs quite frequently." She leaned forward, and suddenly her offensive stance melted away into a mother-like concern. Instantly Sakura was on guard. She wasn't stupid, and she knew Kaho wasn't either. She was a politician, adept at manipulating people's emotions. This was only one of numerous tactics she employed.

"Sakura," Kaho said softly, "tell me what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

Sakura said nothing, only stared determinedly at a spot next to Kaho and not at her.

"Are you bored? Angry, depressed? Do you think that raves and booze are comforting?"

Finally, Sakura responded. "No," she said quietly, "no."

"Then why do you do it?"

"Because I hate my life!" She jumped up, the blanket flying off and landing in a crumpled heap on the leather sofa. "I do this every night because there is nothing else to do! Touya doesn't want me out, some shit about protecting me and not getting me hurt. But he doesn't know how much I'm suffering in this hellhole, Kaho! I hate those bitches who Touya think are such wonderful people, such good friends for his precious little sister. I go to clubs but instead of having a good time, I'm fending off men and trying to make sure my friends don't pass out or get raped! So in case you were wondering, no I don't get drunk at the clubs. I get drunk in my own apartment!"

She was so angry, so enraged at the woman who sat calmly in front of her, at her husband who was the one who wanted to shield her from the miseries of the world, and at Fate for condemning her to a useless life as a damned socialite. She wanted to throw something, see it smash into a million pieces and imagine that it was her life. But when she reached for her margarita glass from last night, she found that the coffee table was empty of any glassware.

"Fuck!" She screamed in frustration. She crashed back into the sofa, the soft leather cushioning her landing. Gritting her teeth, she struggled to keep her tears at bay. She almost forgot that there was another person in the room.

Kaho sat quietly on the couch, unmoving. She had said nothing throughout her sister-in-law's shrill tirade, only listened and learned. She had known of what Touya meant to do by keeping his sister free from any obligations, only to have fun and play, never to worry about anything. Their mother had died years ago, shortly after Sakura was born, and when their father Fujitaka died, Touya swore to protect his sister. But Sakura was not meant to be caged, and what Kaho was now dealing with did not surprise her in the least.

"What do you want?"

Sakura looked at Kaho, sitting serenely, not a hair out of place. She envied her-envied her beauty, her intelligence, her poise and elegance, her position as a woman in all aspects of her life: as a wife, a mother, and a politician. It was with this realization that Sakura was struck with the answer to Kaho's question.

"I want a job with the company."

Kaho blinked, surprise etched on her face. "The company?"

"Daddy told me of a company years ago. A company which he controlled half of. A company which Touya and I now control half of. I know you know about it Kaho, I can see it on your face."

"Yes…" Kaho said slowly, "I do know about it."

"I want in. I can't stay stuck here in Tokyo doing this. I'm done with trying to commit long-term suicide. I need out of here and into there."

"I don't know what I can do…"

"Touya and I own part of that damn company. You and him are also influential politicians. I don't care what you do but get me in. I have a business degree, it's not like I'm academically retarded."

She stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. Help yourself to anything here. But when I get out, I expect to hear good news."

An hour later, Sakura stepped out of the shower feeling clean and refreshed. She had scrubbed at every inch of her skin, desperate to get the months' worth of smoke and alcohol out of her system. Walking back out into the living room, she saw Kaho place the receiver of the phone back into its cradle and turn to face her.

"Well?"

Kaho smiled. "As of next Monday, you are going to Hong Kong to work with Nang Hua Technologies as their new senior executive director of the advertising department."

For the first time in months, Sakura felt happy.


	3. Departure Arrival

**Since I've been on a writing spree ever since summer started, I knew I had to update my most popular fic. This chapter is sort of a filler (but still important in developing the plot) and I actually had this written for a long while but I always felt something was missing. Enjoy!

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**Three**

**Departure. Arrival.**

_Hong Kong, China_

Hong Kong International Airport is located on the island of Chek Lap Kok, which gives it its alternate name of Chek Lap Kok Airport. The third busiest airport in Asia, it was here that Kinomoto Sakura's flight landed on a cloudy day two weeks after she was given a job at Nang Hua Technologies. When the plane docked and its passengers headed to customs, Sakura stopped for a moment to look around her. It was the first time in years that she had left Tokyo for reasons other than "vacationing"-partying, spending money, getting so drunk that the next morning the toilet became her best friend and a random stranger was entangled in her bed sheets.

Thank Kami-sama for toilet bowl cleaner and laundry detergent.

"Ma'am?"

Sakura turned to see the flight attendant who had served her on the plane looking questioningly at her. "Yes?"

"Customs is this way," he said, pointing towards the group of people who were being filtered into separate lines for the customs officials.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry," she apologized and followed the man and his group of coworkers. A few minutes later, she was called to a desk where a petite woman with her hair pulled back into a severe bun sat.

"What's your purpose for coming here, Miss Kinomoto?"

"I relocated here for my job."

"For whom may I ask?"

_No you may not you nosy bitch._

"Nang Hua Technologies."

"So you do not know approximately how long the duration of your stay will be?"

_For as long as your ass is going to be sitting at this dead-end job. _

"Hopefully a very long time."

The woman handed Sakura back her documents before saying, "Good luck Miss Kinomoto, and enjoy your stay."

Sakura gave the woman a light smile that barely touched her eyes. "Oh I will." Gathering up her papers, she left the cubicle and headed towards the baggage claim area.

He was busy reviewing some papers when the door to his corner office opened and in strode the devil himself.

"Did your mother ever teach you to _knock_ before barging in on someone Eriol?" Syaoran asked, his eyes back on the sheets of paper in his hands.

"It's not like you're having sex with your secretary in here."

"That's because my secretary is a married woman in her fifties with two children in college."

"Exactly." Eriol walked over to the desk and took a seat in one of the chairs across from Syaoran. "She's here," he announced unceremoniously.

"Who?"

"Kinomoto Sakura."

Syaoran looked up sharply. "What?"

Eriol grinned. "Two weeks ago her sister-in-law Mizuki Kaho called asking for a job for one of the company's shareholders. How do you refuse two Kinomotos?"

"Why didn't you tell me this two weeks ago?" Syaoran asked, slightly irritated.

Eriol shrugged. "Slipped my mind."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. When it came to his best friend, few things were important except when they dealt with him or his girlfriend.

"You want to know more?"

"Do tell."

"She's the new senior executive director of our advertising department."

Syaoran froze. "Senior…executive director?"

Eriol nodded. "Senior executive director. As in just a couple spots below you on the food chain. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Syaoran leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. "That bastard," he muttered. "I should have known Wang would try to come up with some plan to kick my ass out onto the street after that meeting. God he brings in an outsider so he can replace me!"

"Calm down she didn't get your job."

"Yet."

"Exactly. Yet. So make sure that the possibility of 'yet' never occurs." Eriol leaned in. "Our _plan_…?"

"Yes, yes, I know." Syaoran waved his hand impatiently. "Seduce her, convince her to hand her shares over, buy out the executive board, and become chief. But what if she's promoted and I'm kicked out before I can do everything I just mentioned?"

"Stop being a dumbass. Even if plans to fire you are underway right now, your mother would raise hell so that you wouldn't be sacked for a couple of _years_."

Syaoran said nothing.

"Lighten up. Miss Kinomoto has arrived in Hong Kong and will be coming to work in a few days' time. In fact, she'll probably make her first appearance at the company party this weekend." Eriol's eyes bored into Syaoran's. "I hope you'll make good use of that opportunity."

Syaoran smirked. "I will."

The Kinomoto family had numerous properties scattered in various locations throughout the world, but the apartment in Hong Kong was one of the most luxurious. Located in the downtown apartment building of Pacific Place, it was a serviced three-bedroom suite that overlooked Victoria Harbour. Sakura was well acquainted with the place, having traveled to Hong Kong multiple times before, but this time, it was a different feeling. As she unpacked her things in the master bedroom, she reveled in the fact that she was no longer in Tokyo and that in just a few days' time she was going to be working at one of the biggest companies in Hong Kong. Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed the shrill ringing of her telephone.

"Hello?" She breathed, having ran to the kitchen to pick up the call.

"Sakura Kinomoto?" A man's voice asked.

"Yes, who's calling please."

"This is Wang Xu Huan, president and chief executive of Nang Hua Technologies."

"Oh! Well this is an honor Mr. Wang, to what do I owe the pleasure of your call?"

"Who else to welcome the granddaughter of one of the company's founders?"

Sakura laughed. "I'm afraid you have to add another title to that Mr. Wang, my job title."

"Of course, senior executive director." Wang chuckled. "Have you settled in yet?"

"Mm…getting there." Sakura replied as she went back into the bedroom.

"Do you think you can take some time out of your unpacking to come to a company party this Saturday?"

"Considering you're my boss am I not obligated to?"

Wang laughed. "Yes, yes you are. You won't regret it, we're going to dine at Felix at the Peninsula Hotel. Fine Euro-Asian cuisine, you'll like it."

"Sounds like an offer I can't refuse."

"Exactly. Seven o'clock sharp. I expect to see you there."

"You will, Mr. Wang."

"Good. I'll see you then." And the phone went dead.

Walking back to the kitchen, Sakura placed the receiver back into its hook and paused for a moment to think. It didn't surprise her in the least when Wang Xu Huan called to personally welcome her to Hong Kong-after all, she was one of the company's biggest shareholders and he of all people knew that. Rather, it was the sudden revelation that with her family name, those in the company who knew what it meant would be catering to her. Not that it was anything new considering the opportunities that were afforded to her back in Tokyo, but the fact that this time, she could use the Kinomoto namesake for something other than getting into restaurants and clubs. This newfound sense of her power made her feel exhilarated.

Sakura grinned. She was going to make her stay in Hong Kong a memorable one.

* * *

**Somebody mentioned in their review about my use of foreshadowing/irony. :)**


End file.
